Rooftop Films Taps Adnaan Wasey as Executive Director, Dan Nuxoll Steps Down as Organization’s President (EXCLUSIVE)

Brent Lang
·4 min read

Rooftop Films is getting a new executive director.

Adnaan Wasey, a veteran of prominent media and non-profit organizations, will assume the leadership role of the indie film showcase. He succeeds Rooftop Films president and founding team member Dan Nuxoll, who will transition into a consulting role. In his new role, Wasey’s responsibilities will span management, creative direction, partnerships, and organizational development for Rooftop.

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“I’m honored to join Rooftop Films at a time when the team is only beginning to realize the power of media as a tool for transformation,” says Wasey. “Our growth means we can deepen our commitment to supporting bold new artists that reflect diverse communities while expanding accessibility to courageous storytelling. Having witnessed firsthand the joy and significance that Rooftop Films screenings can have in community spaces, I’m excited to now lead the creation of more enriching and unforgettable experiences for new audiences.”

Wasey is an Emmy Award winning producer with tenures as an executive producer and artists’ program manager at the PBS television series POV and at public media station GBH. He has additional experience at the nascent Opinion Video team at The New York Times, The Gotham Film & Media Institute (formerly IFP), and WNYC New York Public Radio. Wasey launched the Kingston Canadian Film Festival, the largest showcase devoted exclusively to Canadian film, and was a board member at The Flaherty, a nonprofit designed to support critical discourse around creative filmmaking. He is a current co-lead of the Producers Guild of America’s Asian American & Pacific Islanders Working Group.

“We’re so honored to have Adnaan Wasey joining Rooftop Films,” says Jess Jacobs, chair of Rooftop Films’ Board of Directors. “And our gratitude is boundless for Dan’s decades of service to the organization. Under his expert leadership, Rooftop’s commitment to New York City communities and independent filmmakers shimmered, even and especially during dark times. With so much hanging in the balance for independent film now, Adnaan’s exceptional qualifications, passion and vision will carry our work forward as we envision a rich future for independent cinema and Rooftop’s critical role in it.”

Nuxoll began working with Rooftop Films in 1997 and became its full-time program director in 2002, then artistic director in 2011, and finally its president in 2020. Over the course of 28 years, he oversaw the expansion of Rooftop Films’ acclaimed independent film programming, transforming it from a small, all-volunteer organization into the largest and longest-running outdoor showcase for new independent films in the country. During his tenure, Rooftop Films presented more than 1,000 large-scale outdoor film screenings of new independent films and expanded their programming to all corners of the city. He oversaw collaborations with local, national, and international cultural institutions, including the Mayor’s Office of the City of New York, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the New York Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival, and negotiated all sponsorships, strategic partnerships, and relationships with independent and Hollywood studios. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Nuxoll oversaw the rapid construction of Rooftop Films’ drive-ins in Queens and Brooklyn, which became the largest operating cinemas in the city, and which hosted nearly every premiere screening in the city during that time.

“Throughout my long tenure at Rooftop Films, our goal was always to create a sustainable support system for independent filmmakers and films, and to transform the ways in which communities engage with independent cinema,” says Nuxoll. “And the value of nonprofit cultural organizations like Rooftop Films has never been more apparent than it is today. Stepping into my new role, I am proud to be passing the baton to someone as thoughtful and forward-looking as Adnaan. His unique blend of creativity, leadership, and dedication to the arts is exactly what Rooftop needs to navigate the ever-evolving independent film landscape.”

Rooftop Films is set to launch its 28th annual Summer Series on May 17, 2024. The lineup of premieres, and the awardees of this year’s Rooftop Films Filmmaker Fund grants, will be announced over the next month.

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